Igor Stravinsky

(1882-1971) a US composer best known for his ballet music. He was born in Russia and studied with Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. He settled in France in 1934 and became a US citizen in 1945. Much of his music was not immediately popular but he is now regarded as one of the greatest 20th-century composers. His best-known works include The Firebird (1910), The Rite of Spring (1913) and the opera The Rake's Progress (1951).